Exclusive
East London Pub Co goes into administration
The company, which was led by Padraic Frawley, includes The Ten Bells in Spitalfields, The Gun in Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, The Saxon in Clapham High Street and the Lock Tavern in Chalk Farm Road.
According to records filed with Companies House, Frawley, who founded the operation in 2014, stepped down as a director on 10 November and administrators from Kroll Advisory were appointed on 16 November.
A statement from the administrators said: “Sarah Rayment and Janet Burt of Kroll were appointed as joint administrators of East London Taverns Limited, East London Pub Co Limited, Lock Tavern Limited, Clapham Tavern Limited, Gun Tavern Limited on 16 November 2023.
“The business of the companies continue to trade as usual especially in the lead up to the busy Christmas period.”
Frawley had previously claimed the hospitality industry had been “thrown to the wolves” during the Covid pandemic, writing for the Morning Advertiser here.
The Gun was opened in 2019 after a joint investment of £2.2m between the East London Pub Company and Star Pubs and Bars. The renovation at the time was described as Heineken-owned Star’s largest ever investment in a single pub.
At the time, Heineken’s then MD David Forde said: ““At Heineken, we know that well-invested, well-run pubs have an incredibly important role to play in London, and in cities and neighbourhoods across the UK.
“The Gun is a vital part of the history of Spitalfields, it was where producers and buyers came together after a hard day’s trading.
“Working in partnership with the East London Pub Co, we have delivered a unique pub that has not only created 50 new jobs, but will be a great drinking hole and meeting place for local office workers and a fantastic venue for tourists to relax at the weekend.”
A spokesperson for Star Pubs & Bars said: "We are monitoring the situation closely but in the meantime The Gun will operate as normal. We will continue to work with the stakeholders involved regarding the future of the site but we are confident that there will be no short term disruptions."
